HMS Duke of York (17)

In the aftermath of the First World War, the Washington Naval Treaty was drawn up in 1922 in an effort to stop an arms race developing between Britain, Japan, France, Italy and the United States. This treaty limited the number of ships each nation was allowed to build and capped the displacement of capital ships at {{convert|35000|LT|t}}.Raven & Roberts, p. 107 These restrictions were extended in 1930 through the London Naval Treaty, but by the mid-1930s Japan and Italy had withdrawn from both of these treaties and the British became concerned about the lack of modern battleships in the Royal Navy. The Admiralty therefore ordered the construction of a new battleship class: the {{sclass|King George V|battleship (1939)|4}}. Due to the provisions of both the Washington Naval Treaty and the London Treaty, both of which were still in effect when the King George Vs were being designed, the main armament of the class was limited to the {{cvt|14|in|mm|adj=on|0}} guns. They were the only battleships built at that time to adhere to the treaty and even though it soon became apparent to the British that the other signatories to the treaty were ignoring its requirements, it was too late to change the design of the class before they were laid down in 1937.Konstam, p. 20

Duke of York was the third ship in the King George V class, and was laid down at John Brown & Company's shipyard in Clydebank on 5 May 1937. The title of Duke of York was in abeyance at that time, having been that held by King George VI prior to his succession to the throne in December 1936. The battleship was launched on 28 February 1940 and completed on 4 November 1941, and joined the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow.Campbell, p. 15

{{Main|King George V-class battleship (1939)|l1=King George V-class battleship}}

Duke of York displaced {{convert|36727|LT|t|lk=on}} as built and {{convert|42076|LT|t}} fully loaded. The ship had an overall length of {{convert|740|ft|m|1}}, a beam of {{convert|103|ft|m|1}} and a draught of {{convert|29|ft|m|1}}. Her designed metacentric height was {{convert|6|ft|1|in|m}} at normal load and {{convert|8|ft|1|in|m}} at deep load.Chesneau, p. 15Garzke, p. 249Raven & Roberts, p. 284

She was powered by Parsons geared steam turbines, driving four propeller shafts. Steam was provided by eight Admiralty 3-drum water-tube boilers which normally delivered {{cvt|100000|shp|lk=on}}, but could deliver {{cvt|110000|shp}} at emergency overload.{{#tag:ref|The King George V-class battleships had their steam plant specifications revised during the building phase, and as built the ships actually produced {{cvt|110000|shp}} at 230 rpm, and were designed for an overload power of {{cvt|125000|shp}}, which was exceeded in service.Raven & Roberts, pp. 284, 304Garzke, p. 191|group=N}}

This gave Duke of York a top speed of {{convert|28|kn|lk=in}}.Garzke, p. 238 The ship carried {{convert|3700|LT|t}} of fuel oil, which was later increased to {{convert|4030|LT|t|-2}}. She also carried {{convert|183|LT|t}} of diesel oil, {{convert|256|LT|t}} of reserve feed water and {{convert|430|LT|t}} of freshwater.Garzke, p. 253 At full speed Duke of York had a range of {{cvt|3100|nmi}} at {{convert|27|kn}}.Campbell, p. 6

File:The Royal Navy during the Second World War A12958.jpg

Duke of York mounted 10 BL 14 inch Mk VII naval gun, which were mounted in one Mark II twin turret forward and two Mark III quadruple turrets, one forward and one aft. The guns could be elevated 40 degrees and depressed 3 degrees, while their training arcs varied. Turret "A" was able to traverse 286 degrees, while turrets "B" and "Y" could both move through 270 degrees. Hydraulic drives were used in the training and elevating process, achieving rates of two and eight degrees per second, respectively. A full gun broadside weighed {{cvt|15950|lb|kg}}, and a salvo could be fired every 40 seconds.Garzke, p. 227 The secondary armament consisted of 16 QF 5.25 inch Mark I naval gun dual purpose guns which were mounted in eight twin turrets.Garzke, p. 229 The maximum range of the Mk I guns was {{cvt|24070|yd|m|1}} at a 45-degree elevation, the anti-aircraft ceiling was {{cvt|49000|ft|m|1}}. The guns could be elevated to 70 degrees and depressed to 5 degrees.Garzke, p. 228 The normal rate of fire was ten to twelve rounds per minute, but in practice the guns could fire only seven to eight rounds per minute. Along with her main and secondary batteries, Duke of York carried 48 QF 2 pounder naval gun "pom-pom" anti-aircraft guns in six octuple, power-driven, mountings. These were supplemented by six Oerlikon 20 mm cannon light AA guns in single, hand-worked, mounts.Raven & Roberts, pp. 287, 290

File:‘Whisky’ the cat, pet and mascot of HMS Duke of York (6105339563).jpg, off duty]]

File:The Royal Navy during the Second World War A22608.jpg performers and a Royal Navy officer aboard the Duke of York at Scapa Flow]]

In mid-December 1941, Duke of York embarked Prime Minister Winston Churchill for a trip to the United States to confer with President Franklin D. Roosevelt. She arrived at Annapolis, Maryland, on 22 December 1941, made a shakedown cruise to Bermuda in January 1942, and departed for Scapa Flow on 17 January with Churchill returning home by air.Garzke, p. 216Burt, p. 418

On 1 March 1942, she provided close escort for Convoy PQ 12 in company with the battlecruiser {{HMS|Renown|1916|2}}, the cruiser {{HMS|Kenya|14|2}}, and six destroyers. On 6 March, that force was reinforced with one of Duke of York{{'}}s sister-ships, {{HMS|King George V|41|2}}, and the aircraft carrier {{HMS|Victorious|R38|2}}, the heavy cruiser {{HMS|Berwick|65|2}}, and six destroyers as a result of Admiral John Tovey's concerns that the battleship {{ship|German battleship|Tirpitz}} might attempt to intercept the convoy. On 6 March, the German battleship put to sea and was sighted by a British submarine around 19:40; no contact was made, however, except for an unsuccessful aerial torpedo attack by aircraft from Victorious.

Later that month, Convoy PQ 13 was constituted and Duke of York again formed part of the escort force.Rohwer, p. 153 In early April, Duke of York, King George V, and the carrier Victorious formed the core of a support force that patrolled between Iceland and Norway to cover several convoys to the Soviet Union.Rohwer, p. 158 In late April, when King George V accidentally rammed and sank the destroyer {{HMS|Punjabi||2}} in dense fog, sustaining significant bow damage, Duke of York was sent to relieve her.Rohwer, p. 162 She continued in these operations through May, when she was joined by the American battleship {{USS|Washington|BB-56|6}}.Rohwer, p. 167 In mid-September, Duke of York escorted Convoy QP 14.Rohwer, p. 195

In October 1942, Duke of York was sent to Gibraltar as the new flagship of Force H, and supported the Allied landings in North Africa the following month.Konstam, p. 43 During this time Duke of York came under air attack by Italian aircraft on several occasions, but the raids were relatively small scale and were swiftly dealt with by the "umbrella" provided by the aircraft from the accompanying carriers Victorious, {{HMS|Formidable|67|2}} and {{HMS|Furious|47|2}}. After this action, Duke of York returned to Britain for a refit.Campbell, p. 14

File:HM King George VI greeting the Flag Officers of the Home Fleet on board the flagship HMS DUKE OF YORK at Scapa Flow, 16 August 1943. A18577.jpg and Admiral Bruce Fraser aboard Duke of York at Scapa Flow, August 1943]]

With her refit completed, Duke of York resumed her status as flagship from 14 May 1943 pending the departure of King George V and Howe for Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily. Operation Gearbox in June 1943 involved a sweep by Duke of York and {{HMS|Anson|79|2}}, in company with the US battleships {{USS|Alabama|BB-60|6}} and {{USS|South Dakota|BB-57|2}}, to provide distant cover for minor operations in Spitsbergen and the Kola Inlet, while the following month diversionary operations, code-named "Camera" and "Governor of Norway," were carried out to draw the Germans' attention away from Operation Husky. On 4 October, Duke of York and Anson covered a force of Allied cruisers and destroyers and the American carrier {{USS|Ranger|CV-4|6}} under Operation Leader, which raided German shipping off Norway. The attack resulted in the sinking of four German merchant ships and damage to seven others, which forced many of them to be grounded.Rohwer, p. 280

{{main|Battle of the North Cape}}

In 1943 the German battleship Scharnhorst moved to Norway, a position whence she could threaten the Arctic convoys to Russia. With Tirpitz and two armoured ships also in Norwegian fjords, it was necessary for the Royal Navy to provide heavy escorts for convoys between Britain and Russia. One of these was sighted by the Germans in early December 1943, and Allied intelligence concluded that the following Convoy JW 55B, would be attacked by the German surface ships. Two surface forces were assigned to provide distant cover to JW 55B, which had left Loch Ewe on 22 December. On 25 December 1943, Scharnhorst was reported at sea. The Force 1 cruisers {{HMS|Belfast|C35|2}}, {{HMS|Norfolk|78|2}} and {{HMS|Sheffield|C24|2}}, with four destroyers, made contact shortly after 09:00 on 26 December. A brief engagement occurred around 09:30, but Scharnhorst outdistanced her pursuers, and again outran them after a brief skirmish around noon.Garzke, p. 218

Force 2, including Duke of York, the cruiser {{HMS|Jamaica|44|6}} and four destroyers, was closing, and it was estimated that a night action with Scharnhorst would commence around 17:15. Scharnhorst altered course, and contact was made at 16:32, at a distance of {{convert|29700|yd}}. Force 2 manoeuvred for broadside fire. Belfast, with Force 1, fired star shells at 16:47 to illuminate Scharnhorst. This failed, so Duke of York fired a star shell from one of her {{convert|5.25|in|mm|sing=on|0}} guns, taking Scharnhorst by surprise with her main battery trained fore and aft. By 16:50 Duke of York had closed to {{convert|12000|yd}} and opened fire with a full ten-gun broadside, scoring one hit. Although under heavy fire, Scharnhorst straddled Duke of York a number of times and hit her twice. A {{convert|28.3|cm|adj=on|1}} shell passed through the main mast and its port leg without detonating but fragments from the hit destroyed the cable for the main search radar.Raven and Roberts,  p. 356 A {{convert|15|cm|adj=on|1}} shell also pierced the port strut of the foremast without exploding.Garzke,  p.220 At 16:55 a {{convert|14|in|mm|sing=on|0}} shell silenced turrets Anton and Bruno, but Scharnhorst maintained speed so that by 18:24 the range had opened to {{convert|21400|yd}}, when Duke of York ceased fire after expending fifty-two broadsides.Garzke,  p.219 One shell from the final salvos hit and exploded in Scharnhorst{{'}}s number one boiler room, slowing the ship and allowing the pursuing destroyers to overtake her.{{cite web|title=Operation "Ostfront" – The Battle off the North Cape (25–26. December 1943)|url=http://www.scharnhorst-class.dk/scharnhorst/history/scharnostfront.html|access-date=5 July 2012|archive-date=14 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514190338/http://www.scharnhorst-class.dk/scharnhorst/history/scharnostfront.html|url-status=dead}}

File:HMS Duke of York gunners A 021168.jpg

Force 2's destroyers then attacked with torpedoes, firing 28 and scoring hits with three. This slowed Scharnhorst, and at 19:01 Duke of York again opened fire, at a range of {{convert|10400|yd}}. She ceased fire at 19:30 to allow the cruisers to close on Scharnhorst. Ten 14-inch shells had hit the German battleship, causing fires and explosions, and silencing almost all of the secondary battery. By 19:16 all of the main turrets aboard Scharnhorst had ceased fire and her speed had been cut to {{convert|10|kn}}. Duke of York ceased fire at 19:30. In the final stages of the battle the destroyers fired a total of 19 torpedoes at her, causing Scharnhorst to list badly to port, and at 19:45 she sank after a running action lasting ten-and-a-half hours from the first, taking with her over 1,700 men.Chesneau, pp. 14–15 Following her sinking, and the retreat of most of the other German heavy units from Norway, the need to maintain powerful forces in British home waters was diminished. Her ship's cat Whisky was famously known for supposedly sleeping through the action.

File:Allied battleships in Sagami Bay 28 Aug 1945.jpg and the British Pacific Fleet in Tokyo Bay, 28 August 1945, preparing for formal Japanese surrender. Duke of York lies just beyond {{USS|Missouri|BB-63|6}} in the fore. Mount Fuji is in the background.]]

On 29 March 1944, Duke of York and the bulk of the Home Fleet left Scapa Flow to provide a support force for Convoy JW 58.Rohwer, p. 314 The ship operated in the Arctic and as cover for carriers conducting the Goodwood series of air strikes on Tirpitz in mid to late August.Rohwer, p. 350 In September, when she was overhauled and partially modernized at Liverpool, radar equipment and additional anti-aircraft guns were added. She was then ordered to join the British Pacific Fleet and sailed in company with her sister-ship Anson on 25 April 1945. A problem with the ship's electrical circuitry delayed her while she was at Malta and, as a result, she did not reach Sydney until 29 July, by which time it too late for her to take any meaningful part in hostilities against the Japanese.

Nevertheless, in early August, Duke of York was assigned to Task Force 37, along with four aircraft carriers and her sister-ship King George V. From 9 August, TF 37 and three American carrier task forces conducted a series of air raids on Japan, which continued until 15 August when a surrender came into effect.Rohwer, p. 426 After the conclusion of hostilities, Duke of York, alongside her sister-ship, King George V, participated in the surrender ceremonies that took place in Tokyo Bay. The following month Duke of York sailed for Hong Kong, to join the fleet that assembled there to accept the surrender of the Japanese garrison. She was the flagship of the British Pacific Fleet when the Japanese surrendered, and remained so until June 1946, when she returned to Plymouth for an overhaul.Garzke, p. 221

File:Lenana duke of york bell.png

Duke of York was flagship of the Home Fleet following the end of the war and remained in active service until April 1949. She was laid up in November 1951, and on 18 May 1957, she was ordered scrapped. She was broken up by Shipbreaking Industries, Ltd., in Faslane.Garzke, p. 222 The ship's bell was salvaged and given to the Duke of York School (since renamed the Lenana School) in Nairobi, Kenya.

{{clear}}

During her career, Duke of York was refitted on several occasions to bring her equipment up-to-date. The following are the dates and details of the refits undertaken.Campbell, p. 52

{{reflist|group=N}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book|last=Burt|first=R. A.|title=British Battleships, 1919–1939|year=1993|publisher=Arms and Armour Press|location=London|isbn=1-85409-068-2}}
• {{cite book |last1=Buxton |first1=Ian |last2=Johnston |first2=Ian |title=Battleship Duke of York: An Anatomy from Building to Breaking |date=2021 |publisher=Seaforth Publishing |location=Barnsley, UK |isbn=978-1-5267-7729-4|name-list-style=amp}}
• {{cite book|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946|editor1-last=Chesneau |editor1-first=Roger |publisher=Mayflower Books|location=New York|year=1980|isbn=0-8317-0303-2 |chapter=Great Britain |last1=Campbell |first1=N. J. M.|pages=2–85}}
• {{cite book|title=King George V Battleships|last=Chesneau|first=Roger|publisher=Chatham Publishing |year=2004 |isbn=1-86176-211-9|series=ShipCraft|volume=2|location=London}}
• {{cite book|last1=Garzke|first1=William H. Jr. |last2=Dulin|first2=Robert O. Jr. |title=British, Soviet, French, and Dutch Battleships of World War II|year=1980|publisher=Jane's|location=London|isbn=978-0-71060-078-3|name-list-style=amp}}
• {{cite book|title=British Battleships 1939–45 (2) Nelson and King George V classes|last=Konstam|first=Angus |publisher=Osprey Publishing|year=2009|series=New Vanguard|volume=160|isbn=978-1-84603-389-6|location=Oxford, UK|author-link=Angus Konstam}}
• {{cite book|last1=Raven|first1=Alan|last2=Roberts|first2=John|title=British Battleships of World War Two: The Development and Technical History of the Royal Navy's Battleship and Battlecruisers from 1911 to 1946|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=1976|isbn=0-87021-817-4|name-list-style=amp}}
• {{cite book|last=Rohwer|first=Jürgen|title=Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=2005|edition=Third revised|isbn=1-59114-119-2 |author-link=Jürgen Rohwer}}
• {{cite book|last=Stephen|first=Martin|title=Sea Battles in Close-Up: World War 2|year=1988 |publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|isbn=0-87021-556-6 |url=https://archive.org/details/seabattlesinclos00mart}}
• {{cite book |last1=Tarrant |first1=V. E. |title=King George V Class Battleships |date=1991 |publisher=Arms and Armour |location=London |isbn=1-85409-026-7}}

{{Commons category|HMS Duke of York (17)}}

• [http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/great_britain/battleships/duke_of_york/hms_duke_of_york.htm Maritimequest HMS Duke of York pages]
• [http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/great_britain/battleships/duke_of_york/hms_duke_of_york_alan_sutherland_collection.htm Alan Sutherland RN Collection on MaritimeQuest]
• [http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=22538 Newsreel footage of HMS Duke of York] (last quarter of the clip).
• [http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205119483 HMS Duke of York in heavy seas while on Arctic convoy duty]

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